Soulless Wandering
by brichan16
Summary: Everything was going according to plan. He was to be King of Egypt and help his brother bring peace to the land. But then, he was killed. Now he's back with a little help from the Greek goddess, Artimis, and he seeks revenge... same story, different spot
1. Chapter 1

Hope you guys enjoy this story! For the first couple of chapters, I'll let u know when I give TOTAL credit to Chie Shinohara, because it's pretty much a non-picture version of book 7 and 8. But it is essential to the story, so work with me. Also, later, I give credit to Sherrilyn Kenyon for all of her Dark-Hunter ideas and her characters. SO! Until I say otherwise: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS! Except for Selen!

Have fun! (for those of y'all who don't know, this is a Red River/Dark-Hunter crossover -)

**1324 BC**

Tremors racked her body as she dug her nails into a muscular back. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over her as she watched him indulge in in his own ecstasy. They collapsed on the bed together when the waves finally subsided. Eyes of molten gold sought those of crystal sapphire, and found them to be already gazing up at him.

"I love you, Zannanza."

His eyes turned dark. Her words, faint as a trickle of water, did not surprise him. Nor did they go unrequited, for he loved her with all of his being. Mind, body, heart, and soul, he gave it all to the woman who gazed up at him.

But this was their last night together, and he couldn't bear the thought of leaving her.

"I love you, too, Selen."

Tears filled her eyes as she hugged him close. "I don't want to lose you."

He cringed at her words. "Selen…"

"But I know I must. I am not legally yours. You belong to your country, and right now, she needs you, so I must let you go."

His eyes began to turn hot and moist. Gods, why did she have to make this harder than it already was?

"Zannanza?"

His gaze shifted to hers once more.

"Please, promise me something."

"Anything"

"Never forget me."

He pulled her close. "Oh, my love. I can never forget you. You will always be in my mind, my dreams, my heart, my soul. I will grant you your request, if you return it. You will always remain a part of me, Selen, if I will always remain a part of you."

She kissed him. "Yes."

Yeah, yeah. Short, but they will get longer. Actually, It'll be kinda, short, long, short, short, long. But it helps with the flow of things.

Hope u liked!


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again, I don't any of these characters, and at this point, not much of the plot line. It's kind of like her writing mixed with my interpretations. MAJOR spoilers for books 7-8 in these next few chapters (it's basically word for word, so I give the author of Red River COMPLETE credit!) So, yeah… ENJOY!**

Zannanza paced outside the great wooden doors. He did not want to go inside. Did not want to say goodbye to everyone he ever loved and cherished.

But he had to. He had to leave behind everything he held dear. Everything for the good of his country. He was hers to command, and right now, she ordered him to form an alliance with Egypt. An alliance that was to be sealed through the vows of marriage.

Oh! Why did he have to win that race? He volunteered himself to marry some unknown woman. And for what?

Zannanza stopped pacing and let out a sigh. Because he loved his country, that's why. He was the only one who could have done it, and he leapt at the chance. Juda was much too young to rule, and his other brothers did not possess any qualities worthy enough for a king. None of them did, except for one. His favorite brother and best friend.

Kail.

But he was needed here at home. To restore the peace here.

Besides, he had, her. Yuri. The Ishtar goddess incarnate from another time. Kail needed to stay here with her.

So, that left him. Forth Prince Zannanza. The only Prince who had nothing to loose by leaving this country.

How he wished that were true.

Not willing to stall anymore, Zannanza pushed open the wooden doors and stepped over the threshold.

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"Kail, I'm leaving now."

Zannanza looked at his brother and friends with sad eyes. "Brother Kail, forgive me for not fulfilling my promise to stay with you. Still, I shall remember your dream that there should be no more war in the orient. I shall be living far away. I may never see you again, but perhaps there I can do more to aid you that I could here. Together, we'll make your dream come true."

Kail's golden eyes reflected the sadness of his own. When he spoke, he didn't bother to hide sorrow in his voice. "When you become king of Egypt, out countries will be at peace, and we shall see each as we wish."

"Of course."

The brothers embraced, knowing they wouldn't see each other for a long time to come.

**Yep, another short one. 'Til next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Next chapter! Yay! Once again, don't own any characters except for Selen. And at this point, it's just easier to give all of the credit to Chie Shinohara** **because it's basically her books here. I would like to keep it as close to the original as possible, and what better way to do that than this way? It will be my own plot soon, so keep reading!**

Zannanza looked at the raven haired beauty sitting on the ottoman next to him. "Thank you for coming, Yuri. Your presence is helping me in this transition."

She smiled her shy smile. "No problem."

"Prince Zannanza and Princess Yuri." Two servants stepped up to them. "Would you like some more wine?"

"No, thank you," answered the Prince.

"Not for me, either," Yuri replied.

The servants bowed and carried on with their business.

"Yuri." Zannanza looked at her. "It will take ten days for us to reach the Egyptian border. You're free to turn back anytime."

"No, I won't." Her eyes were challenging, daring him her to send her away. "I want to be there when the Egyptian receive you. I want to see it with my own eyes, so I can tell Prince Kail."

Zannanza smiled at her. She was always thinking of others and their wishes before her own. Gods, he was going to miss her. "Thank you, Yuri."

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Two pairs of eyes watched them through the shadows.

"How are the prince and his companions?"

"They suspect nothing."

"Good. Do nothing to arouse their suspicions. We'll serve them faithfully until we reach the border.

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Yuri caught the Prince starring at the sky later that night. "This is the last night you'll see the stars over Anatolia."

Started, Zannanza turned towards her voice.

"Are you sad to be leaving, Prince Zannanza?"

He shook his head and turned to walk away. Yuri followed. "No. We'll cross the desert tomorrow. Tonight is the last time I'll sleep in a comfortable bed for a while."

Yuri fell silent for a moment, sensing the underlying emotions. "You're going to marry a woman you've never met for the sake of your country. That's very noble of you."

Zannanza's eyes darkened. "If I can't marry the only woman I've ever wanted, it doesn't matter whom I marry."

"Prince Zannanza?" Yuri's mind flashed back to the time Zannanza was under the queen's rose water spell. He had kidnapped her and had almost raped her, but hadn't gotten the chance, due to a raid that overcame the city.

His voice startled her. "I want to carry you off and escape."

Yuri turned to face him, images of him under the queens spell still flashing through her mind. "Prince Zannanza!"

"If we lived among the nomads in the desert, no one would ever find us." He slowly advanced toward the girl.

Yuri, trying to escape his advancements, backed into a wall. "Prince Zannanza!" Oh, no! Yuri thought. They were alone together, and this time, Kail wasn't there to save her! She knew that the queen's rose water revealed his inner feelings towards her, she just never expected him to act on them by himself. Not after all the apologizes he had given her!

Zannanza stopped and looked at his cornered prey. His lips quirked in amusement. "Heeheehee…"

Yuri gazed at him quizzically as he began to laugh.

Grabbing is stomach, the Prince doubled over in laughter. "I'm only joking! If I disappeared now, it would mean war between Egypt and the Hittite Empire!"

She glared at him angrily. "Why you!" She should have known! Zannanza would never have made a move on her. He loved his brother far too much. And he knew that she and Kail loved each other, though they had yet to admit it.

The Prince continued to laugh. She was too just easy! Of all the people he's ever known, she was by far the easiest to tease. He knew she would recall that night he was under the queen's spell.

The truth was, that the spell did show his deepest desires. He loved Yuri. Loved her like he did his brother. Loved her like a little sister.

What was unknown to her, was that the spell had another effect. The rose water not only allowed him to express his deepest feelings, it also allowed him to see what he most desired. He did regret trying to force himself on Yuri, but when he was abed with her, it was not her he saw. He saw someone else entirely. Someone he could never hope to be with.

Selen.

Instead of ebony locks and midnight eyes, he saw hair the color of shadowed amber, eyes the color of the sky during early dusk, and a voice so soft and musical, it reminded him of a light rain in a forest.

He cleared his throat. "Anyways, if I didn't send you back to my brother, he'd never forgive me. I fear that even more than war." He strode past her, determined to put the past behind him. "Good night. We'll be rising early tomorrow."

Yuri looked after him, amazed at how well he was coping with this situation. "Prince Zannanza!" She hesitated for a second. "Please love Queen Ankhesnanem! Not for your country, and not out of a sense of obligation, but from you heart! That will make everyone happy."

Zannanza turned to look at her, surprise written on his face. "Yuri…"

"I know that sounds sentimental, but… but I…."

"Thank you, Yuri. I will" Zannanza closed his eyes. She wanted so much to make better of the situation. She still believed that he remained unattached to anyone. And why shouldn't she? He had never officially claimed Selen ass his own. Well, not publicly anyways. So, to keep her efforts from being in vain, he told her what he thought she wanted to hear. "I will love my queen and make her happy. I will do y best to be loved by her and her people, so I can live happily there."

Yuri looked upon him with tears and respect in her eyes. "Prince Zannanza."

"I'll be alright. I'm stronger than you think. I will keep the peace between the two countries and see to my own happiness as well. Don't worry, all right. Good night, again." He walked off with a small wave, preparing for his last night in his country.

**A little longer. If you have any questions, (which I'm sure some of you do) please ask! **

**Thanks for reading! (review please!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**HELLO! How be Y'all? Good? GOOD! Well, here is the next chapter! (in case you haven't already figured that out… - ) Anyways, at this point, I still give all the credit to the author of the Red River Manga! (which is only one of the best ones ever! Haha!) Anyhey! ON WITH THE STORY!**

Yuri looked out across the desert, waving her hand in front of her face, trying to cool herself down. "Ugh, it's so hot! It's like an ocean of sand. If I were abandoned here, I'd be mummified in one day."

One of the servants turned to her. "Ishtar, there is an oasis a short way from here. Would you like to go there and refresh yourself?"

"What?" Yuri turned towards the prince. "I don't need a break yet. What about you, Prince Zannanza?"

The Prince looked out her, sweat dripping down his handsome face. "It's dangerous to leave the caravan trail. To get lost in this desert is certain death."

"It's not far," the servant persuaded.

His comrade jumped in. "You're Highness, we must rest. Please, let us go."

The Ishtar studied the Prince. She could see his inner conflict. He didn't want to leave the trail in fear of losing it, but he didn't want to force is already tired men to carry on. He sighed. "Very well. We'll take a short break."

"Hmmmm, strange. The oasis should be around here." After a while of searching, the two servants looked puzzled. "We may need to go a little farther."

"No." The Prince's stern voice called out. "It's too risky. Let's forget the oasis and return to the road."

Disappointed that the Prince denied their request, the servants tried another tactic. "Yes, You're Highness. But we are so thirsty. May I serve wine to everyone?"

Hot and parched himself, Zannanza agreed. "All right, but be quick about it. "

"We shall be."

The two men walked around to everyone in the caravan, pouring wine into outturned bowls. "Drink up! There's plenty for all! Guardsmen! Come and quench your thirst!"

One of the two servants approached Prince Zannanza and Yuri. "You too, You're Highness."

"Thank you."

"And you, Lady Ishtar."

Yuri accepted a bowl. "Jut a sip. I don't drink." She was about to take a sip when the Prince started coughing and spitting out the wine. "Prince Zannanza?" She looked around at the caravan as people began to choke and sputter.

The wine was poisoned!

A scream sounded. Yuri turned towards the sound, and her eyes widened in horror. Four of the servants, including the two who served the wine, were slaying everyone in the caravan! She cried out, "what are you doing?! What's going on?!"

They turned on her. "We bear no grudge against Prince Zannanza or Ishtar, but you have to die."

A man leapt at her. "DIE!"

"NO!" Yuri shut her eyes expecting the servant to finish her off, but the blow never came. She peeked open her eyes, which finally widened as she saw who had save her. "Prince Zannanza!"

The Prince had leapt in front of the servant and had run him through with his sword. He collapsed to his knees, groaning from the effect of the poison.

"Prince Zannanza!"

Behind her, the servants laughed. "Heh, heh. The Queen's poison works well."

"The Queen's poison? She's behind this?" 

"Heh. That's right. Queen Nakia ordered us to kill you all! Then we'll return to Hattusa and report that you were slaughtered by Egyptians soldiers! And the Queen will give us gold!"

Leaning on Yuri for support, Prince Zannanza faced the traitors. "You can't! That would mean war!"

Fed up with the survivors antics, the servants advanced. "Shut up and die!"

The Prince intercepted the attack. "Yuri, go tell Kail what's happened!"

"But I can't leave you!"

"Go! Only you can avert a needless war! Kail is dedicated to peace. And so am I! That's why I chose to go to Egypt! Don't let Queen Nakia win!" He scooped her up and threw her atop her horse. "Go, Aslan!"

The black stallion began to run, determined to get his rider to safety.

"Don't let her get away! Kill her!"

The remaining servants shot arrows at the horse, causing it to collapse. Yuri cried out. "ASLAN!"

The servants advanced, swords poised for attack. "Die, Ishtar!"

"Yuri!"

"Aslan! No!"

Yuri looked up in time to see the tip of a spear mere inches from her. Warm blood splattered all over her face. Eyes traveling up the length of the spear, she saw the source of the blood.

Prince Zannanza had been run though.

When he spoke, his voice was still strong, but now no more than a whisper. "Go, Yuri. Please. I must… send you back… to my brother…" His eyes closed. He fell, the spear protruding though his body.

"PRINCE ZANNANZA!"

Pain shot through her. Her eyes dulled as she surrendered to the darkness. When it finally claimed her, she fell near the dead Prince... with an arrow in her back.

**OK! So… What'cha think? It seems to be a little longer…**

**Oh, well, catch in the next chapter! (Please review…. tear)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Why are you reading this? There's a great story waiting for you! ****J**

**Enjoy!**

A servant laughed. "Heh, heh, success!" I killed both the Prince and the Ishtar! I'll live like a king! He turned to his comrades. "The gold is all mine!" He swung his sword and slew the two standing closet to him.

The third retreated with a scream. "What are you doing?"

With a wild gleam in his eyes, the servant plunged his sword into the last of his comrades. "Queen Nakia commanded me to kill ALL the witnesses."

After cleaning his blade on the corpse, he jumped on his horse and rode back towards Hattuse, smiling at the profit he was sure to receive.

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Not knowing how long she remained unconscious, Yuri finally opened her eyes. Images of what had happened raced through her mind. Tears welled in her eyes. "I have to go… tell Prince Kail… what happened. It wasn't the Egyptians… I have to tell him… Zannanza is… here. I have to tell him… the truth…" With the last of her strength, Yuri managed to turn the Prince over. "Zan…na…za…" Collapsing by him, she surrendered to the darkness once again.

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Aslan awoke, arrows still squiring his sides. He managed to stand, slowly, painfully, but managed. Looking off into the desert, he could see the sand storm threatening to cover them. He had to move quickly if he was going to make it out in time. Limping over to Yuri and the Prince, he searched for survivors.

Nothing.

He made his way over to the Prince. Not even he had survived. Yuri, luckily though, was still breathing. Unconscious, but breathing. He slid his head under her limp body and worked her down to his back. Aslan watched as the sand began to cover the dead. Thankful that at least he and his Ishtar were still alive, Aslan began the long journey towards home.

**Gasp gasp Another short chapter? Oh, well. Hope you liked! Oh, don't own anything in this chapter, give all the credit to the author of Red River! Review please! smile 'til later.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! Bri's back! Ah, ha! Now, we're getting somewhere! Don't own the characters!**

**Enjoy!**

…

…

…

_Darkness…_

It was everywhere…

He couldn't move…

Couldn't speak…

Couldn't breathe.

He was alone.

All alone. With only one thought coursing through his mind.

_Revenge…_

Revenge on the one who killed him and his people. Who killed Yuri. He who killed any hope of peace in his broken country.

Everything he and his brother had worked for was now in ruins. Kail would never consider peace with the Egyptians if he thought they had murdered him and Yuri.

He cried to himself. Damn that servant! How dare he betray his country! If only Zannanza could get a hold of him before he reached Hattusa! Not only would he be able to spoil the queen's plans, but he will also be able to extract the revenge he sought.

A white light suddenly blinded him. Colors danced before his eyes. When they finally began to fade, and his vision began to return, he was surprised to see he was lying on a floor of some sort.

Wait… he could see. He could feel. He could feel the pain in his eyes. Could fell the coolness of the floor. Could see the floor. And when he discovered he could sit up, he saw that he was in a temple of some kind.

"Prince Zannanza."

Quickly, he turned towards the feminine voice. Green eyes meet his golden ones. Vibrant red hair framed a face with chiseled features that softened as she greeted him with a smile.

She held out a hand and gestured with long, slender fingers. "Please, come."

Zannanza stood up, and moved towards the woman. He was in a dream. This couldn't be real. This amazingly beautiful woman was calling him to her! But… he was dead.

Stopping, Zannanza refused to move any farther until she answered some of his questions. "Who are you?"

A gleam of annoyance, flickered in those green eyes, but she concealed it quickly. "I believe the question should be more 'What am I'."

Unamuzed , Zannanza stood his ground.

She smiled at him. "Alright, I'll answer your questions, but you will have to give me something in return."

What could she possibly want from him? He had nothing else to lose. "Very well. Now, my first question?"

"My name is Artemis, Greek god of the hunt, moon, and chastity."

"Why am I here? What is your reason for calling me?"

"I am here to make a bargain."

"And that would be?"

She smiled a seductive smile. "You want revenge, do you not? What would you say if I told you I could help you get it? Personally?"

"I would say, what do you want in exchange?"

"I would want you to serve me."

Oh, that was rich, a Prince diminished to a servant. How fitting.

"I know, why should you serve me? You were a Prince, after all."

Little vixen. She knew his conflict.

"But wasn't a Prince a servant anyways, in a sense?"

"Of the people, aye. Where are you going with this?"

"You will aid the people once again. Let's look at it this way. You shall continue to be a Prince, but you will have a different queen, Serve me, and I will give you powers beyond what you ever imagine. You will have wealth, immortality, and your revenge."

Zannanza cared for nothing of wealth or immortality. All he wanted was a chance to restore the hope of peace, by killing the man who betrayed him. As for the queen comment, he would let that on slide… for now. "Alright. I accept your proposal."

"I now give you a choice." Artemis waved her hand, performing a magic that dissolved the tunic from his body. As her eyes traveled over his torso, a hint of arousal flickered across her beautiful features. "Would you prefer to live your new life clean? Or would you prefer to keep the scares of your past?"

He looked down to where the wound from the spear was located. Did he want to forget? He was given the opportunity to be free of his past. Free of the pain. Zannanza shook his head. "No. I will live with my past, for I feel it will be all I have left."

Artemis walked over to him. "You have accepted my offerings. MY offerings of power, wealth, immortality, and the chance for revenge. To seal the bargain, I need one thing form you, and one thing only."

Golden eyes stared at her. "And that is?"

She reached out and touched his arm. "Your soul."

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Somewhere out in the desert, where the smell of blood still fouled the air, a hand burst through the sand.

**Yay! This chapter done. Zannanza belongs to Chie Shinohara and Artemis belongs to Sherrilyn Kenyon. Well, this version of Artemis anyways. **

**Hope you liked!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. Computer's down first of all, and I've had a major source of writer's block. BUT! I've got a few more chapters down, and the ideas are still coming! Yay! Anyways, on with the story! Oh, and I don't own any of the characters, and right now, I don't own the plot either. It belongs to the author of Red River! At the end though, it's mine. So! Without further adieu…! **

Back in Hattusa, word had already reached of the attack on the caravan. The king and an Egyptian party were in a dispute over who the attackers were. A servant bowed before the king, ready to confirm the horrible thought that raced though everyone's mind. "Prince Zannanza and the others are dead."

Kail stood in complete shock. _Dead? They couldn't be dead. Zannanza and Yuri, they were both strong, they never would have allowed themselves to be killed._ His brows creased in fury as he fought back tears. _I shouldn't have let him go! Even if it meant war with the Egyptians, I shouldn't have let either of them go!_

A speaker for the Egyptians stepped forward to address the king. "Your Majesty, I am Horemheb. Queen Ankhsenamen's emissary plenipotentiary. Great Suppiluliuma, do you contend that we Egyptians murdered your son?! Such an accusation is intolerable!"

The king raised his voice in a challenge. "Do you deny it? We have a witness!"

"Whatever your witness claims, we did not kill your son! Is this false accusation some pretext for war?"

The kind stood from his throne. "How dare you? It is you who have provoked this war, not we!"

Kail watched the two in their argument. _I know I should calm my father. There are many things that need to be clarified. But I burn with rage and dark emotions. Right now, I yearn for battle, too."_

Cries sounded from the people. "Those dirty Egyptians! They killed our Prince! Let us rescue Ishtar!"

"Hittite liars!" the Egyptians retaliated. "You never sent you Prince to us!"

_I'll look into my brother's clear hazel eyes no more._

"Egyptian dogs!" cried the king. "We will crush you!"

_And never again will I stroke you black hair, Yuri._

"Then let there be war!" Horemheb threatened.

_I'll never hold her in my arms again!_ Kail buried his face in his hands. _Why?_

His father's booming voice sounded. "ATTACK!"

"Father! WAIT!"

The two sides started towards each other with cries of war.

A flaming arrow soared through the sky and landed between the two parties before they reached each other. "All right. Before you start this deadly game, a word."

Everyone looked towards the new voice. Surprise raised amount the Egyptians. "Commander!'

A black horse and his rider rode up beside the Egyptian commander. "Please wait! Don't go to war! The Egyptian's didn't do it!"

As the horse neared the Prince, the rider fell into Kail's arms. "Yuri!"

Her dark eyes met his. "Prince Kail, did I make it … in time?"

Prince Kail held her close, eyes widening as he saw the arrow protruding from her back. "Yuri, you're hurt! You need a surgeon!"

She began to push away from him. "Wait."

"What?"

"Give me a moment, please!" Yuri scanned the crowds, searching. Finally finding what she was looking for, she lifted a shaking finger and pointed at the traitorous servant. "That man, killed Prince Zannanza!"

The man's eyes widened in fear as he looked at the queen. "No, I… Queen Nakia!"

Calmly, the queen stood. "Oh, dear." She looked to Kail and Yuri. "The sun has baked the poor girl's brain! She's been roaming the desert unprotected, and with that horrific wound! She needs immediate attention and rest."

Yuri glared at the Queen angrily. "Queen Nakia, I'll never forgive you. Prince Zannanza's blood is on your hands! I'll see that you pay for this!"

"She needs bed and rest! She's raving!" The Queen pointed towards the servant. "The Egyptians murdered Prince Zannanza! This man saw it all!"

"That's not true. I saw that man kill Prince Zannanza! The Egyptians didn't do it!"

The man spoke in his own defense. "She… she's mad! Ishtar is sick! She burns with fever!"

"Yes!" said the Queen. "Her ordeal in the desert has given her fever dreams! She should have never have gone there. You must go and rest now, my child."

Yuri refused to back down. "I saw him die with my own eyes! They weren't fever dreams Look at this!" She indicated the blood on her tunic. "This is Prince Zannanza's blood! He was killed by that man's spear!"

The servant shook his head violently. "The Egyptians, they did it! All I did was escape with my life, and return to Hattusa to warn Your Majesty!"

"You're lying! You and your cronies killed Prince Zannanza and his men! Then you killed your cronies!"

The Queen waved her hand at her. "If you continue to accuse people without evidence, I'll throw you in prison, even if you are Ishtar!"

Yuri jumped up. "I have evidence. "

"If you continue to lie, I'll have you gagged! Enough of your insolence!"

"I'm not lying! I have evidence that proves he's the murderer!" She turned around. "Look at this arrow! Pull it out and examine it and you'll see who it belongs to! Prince Kail, please, pull the arrow out right now. Let everyone here see who it belongs to!"

"Yuri…"

"Please do it! Prince Zannanza would have been a good king. The Queen must pay for his murder!"

Prince Kail nodded in compliance. "Kikkuri. Get a dagger and hold the blade over a flame, then bring it to me. Hurry!"

The servant stumbled off. "Yes, your highness."

Kail turned to Yuri but refused to meet her gaze. "Is it true? Is Zannanza really dead?"

Unable to speak through the emotions that gathered in her throat, Yuri gave a small nod.

Silence pooled between them before the prince whispered, "I see…"

Kikkuri ran though the tension. "Prince Kail, the dagger is ready."

Kail took the dagger and pulled Yuri close. "Bit my shoulder. This will hurt you terribly. If you clench your own teeth too hard, they'll break."

Yuri gave a small nod before choosing the area between his shoulder and his neck.

"Are you ready?"

The whole world seemed to disappear at that moment. The only two people alive at that instant were Kail and Yuri. He didn't want to hurt her. Didn't want any reason to cause her harm. But this was the only chance they had to prevent a war with Egypt.

Gritting his teeth, Kail cut the shirt from Yuri's back. Oh, gods. It was worse than he feared. The arrow had penetrated deep. The flesh around it had already begun to heal. He would have to reopen the wound to get it out. Clenching his hand around the hilt of the dagger, he cut into Yuri's back.

She bit down on his shoulder, drawing blood. Apologies and pleas for forgiveness stormed his mind. _I'm sorry, Yuri. Be strong for me. Just hold on a little longer. _

He continued his surgical menstruations. Warm blood and tears ran down his shoulder. She was strong, but even her strength could not prevent bringing tears to her eyes. "I'm going to pull it out now. Don't move." Knowing best not to hesitate, Kail grabbed the length of the arrow and pulled it free.

A soul shattering cry filled his ears before he felt Yuri go limp in his arms. She was still conscious, but exhausted from the pain. Kail held up the arrow. "Your Majesty, look at this! This undoubtedly a Hittite arrow. Now, to wash off the blood and see who made it."

Panicked, the treacherous servant ran through the crowd in attempts to escape the fate he knew was to befall him.

"Catch him! Don't let him escape!"

"It wasn't my idea!" He cried back. "I… I was ordered to do it!"

The servant ran into a black cloaked figure. Before a thought was able to cross his mind, the figure pulled out a dagger and slashed his throat.

The king and queen hastened towards the figure. "Urhi, why did you do that?"

The figure lifted his head to reveal an angelic face with pale blue eyes. "He murdered Prince Zannanza!"

"But we might have interrogated him and learned who put him up to it!"

"He was running towards me. I acted on impulse, I fear."

"Well, we can do anything about it now. We'll have the body removed at once," the king stated.

Yuri hung on to Prince Kail with what little strength she had left. Images of Zannanza flashed through her mind. "I'm so… sorry" The last thing she remembered was Prince Kail calling her name.

**BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB**

From the crowd, a hooded figure watched the whole scene. Black eyes watched as the arrow was pulled from Yuri's back. Watched as the servant fled. Watched as revenge escaped his grasp.

Silently, he made his way from the crowd, and back towards the desert.


	8. Chapter 8

**HEY GUYS!! Long time no see! Hahaha, well here's the next portion of the story! Sorry it took so long. School and work take up most of my time now a days… , GOMENASAI! Stop stalling! On with the story! WhooHoo!! **

**2007 AD**

"No, no, no NO!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Our damn history teacher is giving us a test!"

"So…"

"So! It's the last week before finals! Why the hell would he give us a test?!"

"You know teachers, Sororya. They're just out to get you."

"You can bet your ass on that one, Aleigh."

Aleigh watched as her friend continued her hysterics. Blood had risen to flush her olive cheeks. Hair that normally flowed in an ebony waterfall danced with her vigorous movements. A slight trace of anger flashed in her blue eyes.

It was always amazing how two friends could be so different. Where Sororya's skin was dark, Aleigh's was fair. Where her friends hair was long and black, she possessed locks white as dandelion fluff that barely brushed her shoulders. The only thing they really had in common, well, feature wise, were they eyes. Both were a beautiful blue. Still though, they were different. Aleigh's were more the color of crystal sapphires, while Sororya's were the color of glacier pools.

"What are you so worried about? You should know that stuff first hand. You were there."

Sororya shook her head. "Nah-ah. Wasn't there for this. This test is like, over Egypt! You know, King Tut and all that. Just because I'm an Arcadian and have lived for a while now, I'm still a child compared to the others. Besides, Tut lived, like, a zillion years ago! Our race doesn't live that long."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You've only reminded me twenty times already."

"I know! Maybe one of your Dark-Hunter buddies will be willing to give me an interview!"

"Don't bet on it. None of them are old enough. Well except for Ash. He'd give the interview, but you would walk away with more questions than answers."

Sororya gave a heart-filled sigh. "Is there really no one else? How old is Ash anyways?"

"Ash has been around since 9000 BC, or somewhere during that time. The only other person I know who might know something about that time period is Zan, and he's MIA at the moment."

"Zan? Never heard about him before. What gives?"

"I've never met him, that's why."

"Whoa. A Dark-Hunter even you haven't met. Is that possible?"

Aleigh slugged her friend in the arm. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's go. The bell already rung."

**SMILE! Now we're getting good. On to the next chapter!!**

**Oh, yeah, I don't own the Dark-Hunter idea, or anyone besides Sororya and Aleigh! **


	9. Chapter 9

**NEXT CHAPTER! HAHAHAHA!!**

**(Besides Aleigh and Sororya, characters are not mine!)**

"I think we should make a plan to meet this guy."

"No, Sororya. Zan's a loner. He doesn't like to mingle too much with the others. He only make his appearances when he is _seriously _needed."

"What about the whole 'Marti Gras' thing? Was he there for that? I heard that got pretty out of hand."

Aleigh shook her head, remembering the time more Dark-Hunters than normal were needed to take care of a major Daimon problem. They had even flown in Zarek, the psychotic Dark-Hunter that had been banished to Alaska for wiping out a community that had been put under his care. Ash had needed all the help he could get that night, but Zan had not been called in. 

"Come on," Sororya prompted. "Please? You know how much I need this grade, and what better way to ace that stupid test than to get the info. From someone who was really there?"

"No!"

"Hey!" Both girls turned towards the male voice. "What's up?"

A guy of about twenty four jogged up to them, his book bag slapping his thigh with each step. He wasn't that tall, a little under six feet, with curling black hair that brushed his collar and laughing blue eyes. His mile brightened his handsome features. 

Sororya waved. "Hey, Chris."

Chris Erikkson was a Squire, protectors and personal assistants of the Dark-Hunters during the day, and blood relative to the ex Dark-Hunter, Wulf. For the longest time he was put under constant surveillance. As the only living relative to Wulf, Chris was the only person, well, the only human, who could withstand Wulf's odd power. 

Cursed through the years, Wulf's talent was that anyone except his family would forget who he was within five minutes of meeting him. So Chris, his only living relative had to be guarded from any outside dangers. Should anything have happened to him, Wulf would have been forgotten for eternity. 

But, later Wulf had met Cassandra, a half human, half Apolite that just so happened to be a direct link to Apollo. So, long story short, the two met, fell in love, and now have a beautiful son and daughter that they doted on constantly. Redirecting all of their protective procedures towards little Erik and Phoebe, Chris now had a few spare moments to himself. Oh, he's still protected, but Wulf has shown a great amount of resilience lately. No more body guards!

"What were you guys talking about?"

"Oh, nothing really," replied Sororya with a flick of her wrist. "I just have a _major_ history exam coming up! And the topic is all about Egypt! So I asked Aleigh if I could talk to one of her Dark Hunter buddies, and she said no!"

"That's because, one, I don't know where he is, two, he probably won't cooperate anyways."

"You won't know if you won't try."

"No!"

Chris stuck his hand in between them and looked at Aleigh. "Which Dark Hunter is she talking about?"

"Zan."

"Just call Ash. I'm sure he can get him here for you."

Aleigh raised a brow. Do you really think that Ash would call Zan, a Dark Hunter almost as secretive as Ash himself, a man who is called in only for the most _extreme_, just to set up an _interview_?"

Chris smiled. "Yep." He turned on his heel and started to walk away from them. Aleigh and Sororya looked at each other before chasing after him. 

"Do you really think he would," Sororya asked in a hopeful voice. 

"Of course he will." Chris strode on with confidence. "Why wouldn't he?"

Aleigh spoke up, grateful for a chance to chime in. "Maybe because he has better things to be doing. You know, like saving people from Daimons."

Sororya gave her friend a pointed look. "Come on now. Even Ash doesn't spend _all_ of his free time fighting those things."

No, because half of the time he's stuck on Olympus in Artemis's bed, Aleigh thought. 

Chris took advantage of Aleigh's silence. "Okay! That's settled. We'll call Ash later, right now, let's get some coffee." Chris ushered them into a Starbucks on the corner. 

The smell of freshly brewed coffee hit the trio as the entered the shop. Whatever disagreement they had was swept away with the heavenly aroma. They made towards the counter, already knowing what they wanted. Chris ordered a regular tall coffee, which he then preceded to fill with mountains of sugar and rivers of cream. Sororya ordered a caramel Frappachino, while making doe eyes at the checker. Aleigh rolled her eyes at her friend's flirtations as she moved her aside long enough to order a Java Chip. 

When their orders were done and ready to go, Chris grabbed a hold of Sororya's arm and attempted to drag her away from the counter. Aleigh took up the rear to try and stop any movements Sororya might show of going back. As she was about to make her way out the door, Aleigh caught the eye of a man looking at her from over a newspaper. From the way he sat in the chair, one leg stretched out in front of him and the other bent on the outside of the table, she could tell he was tall, but couldn't determine how tall he was exactly. He was dressed in a pair of holy jeans that tucked down into a pair of black biker boots. 

A white shirt stretched across his muscular body, with a denim jacket covering his long arms. A thin leather cord imprinted with some intricate design was wrapped around a thick neck. His hair was shaved all around the base of his head, but pulled back into a ponytail from the top. As she noted the two honey colored locks that framed a very male, very beautiful face, she saw the flash of a silver earring in his left ear. 

When their eyes met, she gasped. They were black. 


	10. Chapter 10

"No, Sororya!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

Aleigh sighed in frustration. Sororya had been asking her non-stop if she could phone Ash ever since Chris said he would do it. Sororya would have called by now, the only problem being that only Aleigh had his number, and no one else would give it to her. "No. And don't even think about asking him."

"Ask me what?"

Aleigh turned to face Acheron. "How do you know we're talking about you?"

Ash gave a small smile. "Just a hunch." He turned towards Sororya and raised a brow.

She looked at him, eyes large, bottom lip quivering. "She won't let me call you to ask if I can interview one of the Dark-Hunters for a history exam."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. She says he's too busy to talk to me."

"Which one are you referring to?"

"Zan."

"Oh, okay. Sure, I'll call him up for you."

"Really?"

"What?" Aleigh asked at the same time as Sororya.

"Why not? He's got nothing better to do at the moment."

"Uh, yeah he does." Aleigh all but pushed her friends to the popcorn stand. "You know, fighting Daimons, saving lives, stuff like that."

Ash laughed out loud while Sororya ordered a Diet Coke, Pepsi, a box of cookie dough bites and a thing of twisslers. For the longest time, she and Aleigh made it their tradition to buy twisslers for movies. They made for a whole lot more fun than the straws used for the Cokes. "Zan doesn't fight Daimons. Well, not all the time anyways."

"Huh?" Aleigh stared up at him dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Acheron helped Sororya carry the treats while following behind them to the theatre. Making their way back to theatre six, they found it to be already dark for the upcoming movie. "What are we seeing anyways?"

"Pathfinder. And you changed the subject!" People turned in their direction to shush them. Aleigh almost laughed at the thought of humans shushing the 11,000 year old Atlantian warrior. If only they knew….

Ash just flashed her a smile. Of course he wouldn't answer her question. Acheron never answered questions. Well, not _all_ the time anyways. The little bit of information he revealed about Zan was probably all she was going to get for a long time. It was a wonder she thought she was any different. Sure, she had known Ash for a long time (a _really_ long time) but he kept his secrets. Aleigh sighed and dropped the subject. There was probably a good reason Ash never answered questions. Everything the guy did seemed to be for a bigger purpose.

Oh, well. That's a mystery for another day.

**-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-**

After the movie, the three of them stumbled out of the theatre in hysterics. Well, Aleigh and Sororya were always stumbling, but Ash never did. He held himself up with grace and authority, and an alertness that never failed despite the laughter he relished in.

"Oh my God!" Sororya said once she caught her breath. "That movie was so bad! What were they thinking? All the blood and gore, that was totally hilarious!"

Aleigh looked up at Acheron. She could sense the glow in his eyes despite the sunglasses. The acting couldn't have been any worse. There was hardly any dialogue either! Despite that, they still managed to have a good time.

Ash laughed. "Wulf would love that movie. Could you imagine the frenzy he would get into when he sees the Vikings?

All three of them burst into laughter. Wulf WAS a Viking, so seeing them on screen would be interesting for him, to say in the least. What would work him into the frenzy would be how BADLY the Vikings were portrayed! Ash made a mental note to be there with the Viking if Wulf ever decided to see that movie. He would probably start the whole "throw popcorn at the screen" scene ranting how REAL Vikings would have acted.

Trying to catch her breath after the latest giggle attack, Sororya waved her hand out towards Ash. "Hey, hey, hey… Before you do your whole disappearing act, could you call him?"

Aleigh shot her friend a a confused look before realization dawned on her. "No! would you stop bugging him about it?"

"Aleigh, you know how much I need this grade. And the best way to study, I think, is to ask someone who actually lived it. The teach gave us all the info we needed to know, now I just have to get the details."

"How do you know he'll even co-operate? For all we know, could be another Ash." Aleigh through a glare his way as he had the decency to look offended. "Don't play cute with me."

A sly smile crept across Acheron's godly features. "Believe me, I don't have to play."

Aleigh rolled her eyes as Sororya batted her lashes at him. "No, you don't have to toy at anything in that area."

Flashing a little fang at the girls, Ash whipped out his cell phone and dialed a number. Someone picked up a few seconds later. "Hey, I need you down here ASAP." Flipping his phone shut, he stared at the two girls. "What?"

They exchanged looks. "Nothing, nothing at all."

After exchanging their good-byes, Ash parted ways with Aleigh and Sororya.

"Wow, Chris was right," Sororya said.

"About…"

"Ash helping me out. See, told ya. You should try to have a little more faith in people."

Aleigh stayed quiet.

"Why don't you want to meet the guy anyways?"

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing. I'll see you later." Aleigh left Sororya standing in the entrance to her street as she made her way to her own home a few blocks over.

With the moon lighting the road, Aleigh picked her way through the streets. Silver shadows danced over every surface, giving them a mystical look. Colors were dulled from the lack of light. Black figures played across the pavement. The soft chill of the wind whispered in the background. The silent fall of feet fell behind her. Oh great. Now someone was following her. With her luck it was probably a Daimon. Putting her hands in her pockets, Aleigh worked a four inch blade out of her sleeve. It wasn't the most effective weapon at the moment, but it would have to do. As expected, she was soon stopped by a very tall blonde man with glittering blue eyes and angelic features.

Daimons always work in packs, the cowards. Not strong enough (though that didn't mean that they weren't strong) to attack their prey alone. Daimons often hunt in groups, attacking simultaneously to overwhelm their prey with their numbers. Though not able enough to fight alone, Daimons made formidable foes as a group.

Looking up at the man in her way, Aleigh raised a brow.

The Daimon smiled, not bothering to hide his fangs. "It's not safe to walk home alone at night. Would you like an escort?"

"Not really."

"Awww. That's too bad. My friends and I were hoping to have some fun tonight."

"Oh, well, sorry to disappoint you." Aleigh felt four more Daimons come up from behind her. Dang, too many for the small blade.

The Daimons moved closer to her. "I guess we'll just have to find another form of entertainment."

"Yeah, I guess."

The Daimon grabbed her arm as the others stepped closer to her. "I must insist that you join us."

"I think not." Aleigh pulled the dagger out of it's hiding place and stabbed the Daimon right across the heart. He burst into a cloud of gold dust. She turned quickly to face the others. Two of them jumped at her while the other two moved to the back. Aleigh moved to dodge an attack and caught the Daimon right across the chest. Blood swelled from the wound but he didn't disintegrate. The two that had move behind her grabbed her arms and forced the knife from her hand. The third one moved and delivered a fast blow to her stomach. Aleigh tried to double over at the pain, but the two Daimons held her in place.

The Daimon she had slashed grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head to the side. "I'll make you pay for that, bitch." Quick as lightning the Daimon bared his fangs and sank them deep into her neck.

Aleigh screamed in pain as he tore at her throat. He didn't get a lot of blood before she felt him being forced back from her. The two holding her arms fell away at the same time. Shocked at being bit by a Daimon, Aleigh started to fall, but felt a pair of strong arms grab a hold and lower her onto the pavement. Closing her eyes against the pain, Aleigh could hear the sounds of a fight. Scuffles on the concrete and rustling fabric complimented the sound of flesh hitting flesh. The sickening sound of breaking bones and dripping blood filled her ears. Then, almost as soon as it started, everything went silent.

Forcing her eyes open, Aleigh caught a glimpse of black biker boots walking towards her before everything went dark…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**And now she's back… from outer space…! Sorry it took so long! OMGsh! GOMENNASAI!!!!! It's been hectic with work and school and time to actually sit down and type this up. But I have my own computer now! YAY! So don't have to worry about waking people up at all hours of the night jut to type up these chapters. Anywho! Hope you all enjoyed this scene! Sorry again it took so long, but the next few chapters hopefully won't take that long to type up and post. Ummm….. The Dark-Hunters are not my characters, (except for Zan) nor are the Squires. Only Sororya and Aleigh at this point belong to me. This version of Zan does to. Yes he is based off of Prince Zannanza of the Red River manga series, but since I have given him a new look and kinda updated his personality, I'm claiming this version of Zan. MUWAHAHAHAHA! ON WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER! wOOt! (Thank you again for being so patient on the update of this story!)**


	11. Chapter 11

One word flooded Aleigh's mind as she regained consciousness. _Ow_. Her neck was throbbing with pain. _Dang Daimons. _

Aleigh jumped out of her restful position when she felt something cold being pressed against her neck, and smacked her head against another.

"Ouch", she cried as she heard a male voice echo her thoughts. Cracking an eye open, Aleigh saw a man sprawled out on the floor. His hand covered his face as he held his head in pain. Despite his obscured features, Aleigh could see his long blonde hair pulled back from the top and the darker sides of the shaved cut. A glint of silver flashed from his ear. As he removed hs hand from his head, Aleigh found herself staring into the black eyes of the man from the coffee shop.

And he was scowling at her. "What is the matter with you?" The deep baritone of his voice rang though her very soul. He wasn't angry, merely agitated at the fact that that she had caught him off guard. He stood up, walked over to her, and placed his hand on her forehead. "Are you alright?"

Something strange jumped in Aleigh's chest. His voice, so warm, rich…soothing, she could listen to it forever. The worst part was, it was familiar to her. Somewhere, sometime in her life Aleigh had heard that voice before. "I'm alright," she said. "You just startled me."

"Good." He shoved her back down. "Now settle down before you cause me anymore trouble."

Aleigh stared at him in disbelief. "I beg your pardon?"

The man smirked at her as he placed the cold rag back against her neck. "You can beg all you want, but it won't do you any good."

Closing her eyes Aleigh pulled away from him with a huff.

"Awww……come on now," he prompted. "I was only kidding."

Still, Aleigh ignored him.

"Ok then. Have it your way." He moved closer to her and placed the compress back against her neck.

After a few minutes of silence he heard her sigh, "thank you".

"For what?"

"Helping me. You did save my life."

He shrugged. "I was just passing by and saw a group of thugs needing a good beating." He saw he features fall slightly in disappointment. "You were a bonus."

Aleigh quirked a brow. "Oh, really?"

He flashed her a smile. "Yeah. Who wouldn't want to find a beautiful damsel in distress. It's like right out of a fairy tale."

"So…you weren't expecting to find me there?"

"Not really. Why?"

She shook her head. Any thoughts she had about him being a Dark-Hunter vanished. So what if he saved her life in the middle of the night. A Dark-Hunter would never rush into a pack of Daimons without knowing what was going on. This guy seemed too unconcerned, too nonchalant about what had happened. Besides, she had never met him and he didn't give off that deadly presence all of the others did. On top of that he had been in the Starbucks. By a window. _In daylight!_ No Dark-Hunter, besides Ash, could stand, let alone sit in sunlight and not combust into flames. It was a feat the Dark-Hunters were cursed with ever since they made their deal with Artemis. And since Artemis was a goddess of the moon, her brother, Apollo, didn't really like to see them during his daylight hours.

"Why did you save me?"

"I already told you. I didn't mean to. I just got lucky."

"Uh-huh…"

"I'm serious."

"Okay, sure."

While the guy dressed and bandaged her neck, she finally took a look around. They were in a family room of some sort. She was lying on a lush, black leather sofa while he sat on a cherry coffee table with a glass center. The walls were w painted in a deep red that complemented on the dark hard wood floor. A thin rug, patterned in blues and reds lay beneath the coffee table. A tall entertainment shelf of rich mahogany laden with a 32" flat screen T.V. and a wide variety of gaming systems. Twin book shelves, made of the same dark wood, stood on both sides of the T.V. stand. Surprisingly they were actually full of books. At first glance the stranger didn't look like the type to move outside the computer world, with the consoles and all, but don't judge a book by it's cover! The kitchen was visible through an open wall and was full of stainless steel appliances. Off to the side, she saw a small hallway which she guessed led towards the bath and bed rooms.

"Where are we?"

"My apartment."

Well, that confirmed it. No Dark-Hunter lived in an apartment. They were too prone to Daimon attacks, which is why many of the Dark-Hunters owned so many houses. Since Daimons had to have an invitation in order to enter a house, Dark-Hunters and their squires had more safety in one. In apartments or hotels like so, Daimons had a little more freedom. They were public places, which allowed anyone to enter them. Including Daimons.

Her rescuer caught the blush running across her cheeks and smiled wickedly. "Would you like a tour?"

Aleigh shook her head vigorously, too embarrassed to speak.

Throwing back his head, the guy laughed. It was rich and deep, showing his good humor. "Since that pretty little blush of yours shows me you're too innocent to stay in a strangers home, how about I take you back to yours?"

Aleigh looked into his midnight depths. "How do I know you're not going to take me out into the middle of no-where and kill me?"

"Would I have saved you if I wanted to kill you?"

"If you wanted the pleasure of doing it yourself, then yes."

He sat back on his heels, seeming to anticipate the upcoming argument with relish. "I could have killed you while you were passed out on my couch."

"True. But then, what fun would that be? You could have just as easily killed me after you chased those Dai- those men off. Then you wouldn't have had the trouble of bringing me all the way back to your house, tending to my injury, and waiting for me to wake up. Besides, you risk too much killing me here. Someone could turn you in."

"Maybe I'm waiting for the right moment."

"Exactly. Which is why you're going to take me out of the way to kill me."

"I wouldn't have bothered with tending to you if I was going to kill you."

"If you wanted me to trust you, you would."

The guy shook his head at her. "Why would I need you to trust me?"

"Because you'd want me to go quietly. And what better way to lure a victim than to have them trust you?"

Silence fell between the two of them with the guy looking amused at her before laughing out loud. "You've thought a lot about this haven't you?"

Aleigh just shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't really matter how you look at it. If I wanted you dead, you already would be."

Raising her hands to her face, Aleigh feigned fright as she looked at him. "Oooo… I'm so scared."

Faster than she could blink, the guy jumped off he table and onto the couch, pinning her hands in his in the process. He straddled her waist, with one foot still on the floor for support. Hovering just mere inches above her ear, his warm breath tickled her skin in a way that hadn't been done in years. Chills ran down her spine with the close contact, and when he whispered, she was sure she shuddered. "Like I said, if I wanted to, you'd already be dead."

Aleigh trembled as he shifted his weight. Her blue eyes found his ebony ones boring into her with hunger. It frightened her. But more than that, it excited her. It was a look she hadn't seen in years. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in forever. And the fact that she felt it with this man was a little scary.

In a swift movement, he stood up and pulled her to her feet. Aleigh caught herself against his chest from the sudden movement. Her face flaming from embarrassment, she tore her hands away from him and spun away from him, refusing to look at him.

His laughter filled her ears. "Like I said, you're too innocent to stay here for a night. Come on." He threw a jacket over her shoulders and led her the way down to the garage. She was surprised to see him walk over to an electric blue Suzuki GSX-R600. Sitting on the bike, he took the helmet of the handlebars and handed it to her. "Can you out it on or do you need help?"

"I can do it." After spending years with Dark-Hunters who loved their bikes, fastening a helmet was something one tended to pick up. "What are you going to wear?"

He tapped his head with his knuckles. "People are always telling me I have a hard head, now's a good a time as any to test that theory."

"You're not funny."

"Sure I am. Besides, if one of us is going to survive, might as well save the cute one."

Aleigh was glad she had the helmet to hid her blush. He held his hand out to help her on the bike. Trying not to think about the way his hand dwarfed hers, or the way his back felt pressed against her, Aleigh locked her hands around his waist and held on tight.

He didn't live too far from her, about ten miles or so out of the way. After pulling into the driveway, he helped her off and took back the helmet.

"Thanks for the help," said Aleigh.

"No problem." He winked at her before putting the helmet on. "See you around." Wit that, he pulled out of the drive and into the night. Only when Aleigh reached her front door did she realize she didn't get his name.

**Yay! Another chapter! wOOt**


	12. Chapter 12

"Oh, my God! What happened to you neck?"

After taking the liberty of letting herself in Sororya's small but sumptuous, two bedroom abode, Aleigh flopped down on a white, leather, plush chair, covering her ears with her hands. "Dang girl, try to be a little louder next time. I think I can still hear out one side."

"Come on, I'm serious!" Sororya perched herself on the arm of a couch that came from the same family as the chair. "Spill it."

Aleigh blushed while playing with the tassels of a blue and purple swirled pillow that accented the chair, remembering last night's encounter. "Nothing."

"Nothing?! What do you mean nothing? It's like a wild animal sank it's claws into you!"

"No it wasn't Sororya." Aleigh rolled her eyes at her friends hysterics. "It was a Daimon, not an animal. And he just got a little nip, nothing much."

"Ah, ha! So I was right. You were attacked by a wild animal. I knew I shouldn't have let you go home alone."

"I can take care of myself."

"Tell that to the chunk that was taken out of your neck!" Sororya pounced off the couch arm and started pacing. "Man, I should have listened to my instincts. Our instincts are never wrong. I disregard them once and look what happens? You get mauled! By Daimons!" She shook her head and looked towards Aleigh. "I'm not letting you go home by yourself anymore."

Starting to get angry, Aleigh gripped the pillow in her fists, hearing tiny ripping sounds of the protesting fabric. "I don't need a babysitter. I've dealt with Daimons before and I have a black belt in hapkido."

"A lot of good that did you last night."

"I. Can. Take. Care. Of. Myself."

"Maybe you can, but I am still an Arcadian, and therefore naturally stronger than you. Plus I have the decades of training required from my pack and increased healing abilities. I have more of an advantage to being out alone. You don't. So consider me your newly acquired nightly escort. "

Jumping up from her seat, Aleigh turned towards her friend, pinning her with an angry glare. "Just cool it, Sororya! You might be Arcadian, but stop acting so superior. I. Am. Fine. The Daimon barely got a nick off and I was milliseconds away from initiating the voice distress signal on my phone. Had it not been for my rescuer, Ash would have been there to bail me out anyways. " Sororya opened her mouth to speak, but she pressed on. "And while you might be stronger than me, have you forgotten that Were-Hunter souls are like ambrosia to Daimons? I can only imagine what it would have been like if it were you instead of me! Besides, I think you're forgetting the fact that I can't die."

Sororya's head jerked up at that. "Yes, you can. "

"Maybe physically…"

"I know you always come back." Sororya's voice lowered as she hugged her friend. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt each time it happens. If not you, then it hurts us."

Aleigh returned the embrace. Sororya was right. She had been with her for a long time. She knew of Aleigh's curse, and still stood by her. It was selfish to think that she wouldn't be affected by it.

"I'm just worried about you, Aleigh. I don't mean to sound so pushy. "

"I know." She touched that bandage on her neck. "Thanks."

"So…," Sororya jumped back to her perch, eyes bright, previous mood pushed aside. "Rescuer? Was it they who fixed you up? Who was it?"

Images of last night flashed into Aleigh's mind. Images of a gentle hand, so contradicting of deadly black eyes. "No one."

A long smile worked itself across her friend's features. "Liar. And by the blush on your face, I'm betting it was a guy." Sororya watched her friend as a silence grew between them. "Was he hot?" That blush deepened on her cheeks. "Cookie?" No response. "Donut?" Nothing. "Powdered donut?" A shift in the eyes. "Oh, my God! You meet a powdered donut and didn't tell me before now?! Was he a Dark-Hunter? Did you get his name?" Sororya stared at Aleigh's drooped expression. "You didn't get his name?"

Aleigh shook her head in embarrassment. "I was a little…preoccupied last night…and he wasn't a Dark-Hunter either."

"WHAT?! You meet a guy that hot, who isn't a soulless henchmen, and you don't even get his name?"

"What? It's not like I'm going to see him again."

"You don't know that." Sororya's eyes widened with impact as what Aleigh just said sank in. "You were _what_ last night?! Oh girl you have to give me all the juicy details." She slide off the arm of the couch and sank into the cushions, squeezing onto a pillow that matched the one Aleigh held on to earlier. Bright eyes sparkled like the sun skimming on glacier pools as she stared at her friend in anticipation.

Aleigh sighed and sank back into the chair. There was no getting out of this now until her friend had the whole story. "Where would you like me to start?"

"At the beginning of course! How did he save you? What did he look like? Where did he take you? He didn't hurt you did he? Well…obviously not 'cuz he patched you up…but if he did I'd have to hunt him down and kill him. And what a shame that would be! Taking out a powdered donut. Well if he's as yummy as I imagine him to be, taking him out wouldn't be such a bad thing. Take him right out of this world and into your bedro-"

"Oh, my God, Sororya! Stop!"

Sororya looked over at her laughing friend. "Well what else are you supposed to do with donuts if not eat them?"

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"I'll shut up."

"For once," Aleigh muttered jokingly. She moved quickly to the side of her chair to dodge a now flying pillow. Still laughing, she swatted at her friend. "Alright, alright I'll tell you!"

Sitting back in the chair, she rearranged her pillows and began her tale. She told her friend of how the Daimons came upon her, how they attacked, and how she didn't have any remembrance of the fight, much to Sororya's disappointment. She recounted waking up in his lavish apartment and smacking her head into his. "I think I still have a lump," she said running a hand through her hair.

Sororya laughed. "That is too funny. And he still fixed you up real nice. What did he look like?"

"Well…". Aleigh closed her eyes to see the mental image more clearly, not that his features weren't burned into her brain already. "He was tall, maybe six two, with long blond hair that was cut close around the base of his head. His eyes were so dark they looked black. They were framed with long lashes, even at the bottom so he looked almost like he had eyeliner on. Straight nose. Full lips that had only a slight cupid's bow. He was lean but fit and had a very relaxed aurora about him. He was such a tease though! And he drove a reeeeally nice motorcycle."

"Ugh," Sororya groaned as she flopped back across the couch. "I can't believe you didn't get his name. Or even a phone number at that!"

"What was I supposed to say? 'Excuse me Mr. Bodacious, but I think you're really yummy. Can I have your number so I can show you off to my friends?' I mean, come on now, get real. Besides, like I said, what are the chances of my getting to see Mr. Donut again? Like one in a hundred million?"

"Hey, you never know. You could walk right out this door and find he's the new neighbor moving into the house across the street."

"The Fates aren't that likely."

"Who knows? They're an unpredictable lot."

"Speaking of walking out the door," said Aleigh, rising from her chair. "We need to go meet up with Ash."

The entire way to the coffee shop, though she and Sororya spoke now and then, Aleigh kept mostly to herself. Black eyes haunted her thoughts.

She had met him before, she could feel it. The sense of recognition was strong, but trying to remember the exact time was difficult. Too many years have passed, but for some reason, she remembered him. The sound of his voice, the color of his hair, his height and imposing yet carefree nature. But so many things were different too. But what, she couldn't remember. Now, the only real question was, did he remember her?

"Aleigh, the space aliens have landed and have declared the purple people eaters dictators of Kuwait."

Aleigh shook herself from her thoughts. "What?"

"I've called your name like five times already. Are you coming or what?"

Sororya had already gotten them there. Well that didn't take long. As the two entered the café, the smell of coffee and the sound of laughter filled the atmosphere. Sunlight poured in through the glass windows, giving everything a light and a warm appearance. Lightly colored caramel tables with checkered patterns in their centers were scattered throughout the room. Stretch couches, the same color as the darker squares on the tables designs, lounged in front of the windows. Snapshots with coffee themes adorned the walls. Low, energetic music played in the background, complimenting the lively chatter and whir of the coffee machines in a complicated symphony .

Aleigh's eyes fell to the corner nearest the fire exit. Like always, Acheron stood out in the crowd. Tall, muscular, incredibly handsome, and completely blacked out he was hard to miss. Huh, he had random orange highlights in his long black hair today. You could never tell what he would do next with those locks. His shades covered swirling, silver eyes, but Aleigh could tell when he glanced at them. Making their way over to him, they sat in the chairs that surrounded his table, Aleigh taking the one to his right and Sororya claiming the one across from him.

His deep voice resonated as he greeted them briefly. "Zan should be here in a few minutes."

Sororya threw her hands up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I thought Dark-Hunters couldn't walk in daylight without bursting into flames."

Ash rolled his head towards her slightly. "Yeah, so?"

"What makes him different?"

"Let's just say he has a few quirks."

With a huff, Sororya flung herself back in her chair.

Aleigh shot her friend an amused look. "What kind of quirks?"

Ash just leaned his chair back against the wall and smiled.

Of course he wouldn't answer her question. Why would he? The mighty Acheron didn't answer anything unless he wanted to. And even then the answers were so complicated you wondered why he even bothered to answer in the first place. After knowing him for so many years, you would think a girl would learn. But then, there was no harm in taking a chance, right? Aleigh sat back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest. Focusing on the checker pattern of the table, she let all her other senses observe the surroundings. How she loved coffee shops. The atmosphere was joyous and friendly while the beverages were heavenly. She tried to think back to a time that didn't harbor java. It wasn't possible. True, there was a time near the beginning of her long life that didn't contain the beverage, but her mind would not allow her to remember those long, forgotten memories.

The sound of a bell indicated an arriving customer. And when she heard the legs of Ash's chair hitting the floor so he could stand, she could tell that the new arrival must be Zan.

With curiosity getting the best of her, Aleigh looked over at the illustrious Dark-Hunter. Like many of the others, he wore heavy black biker boot. Silver chains wrapped around them in a crisscross fashion. Black jeans with red seams were tucked down inside them. And, much like his boots, silver chains wrapped around his lean waist. They were threaded through his belt loops, snaking out of pockets, and hanging loosely off his hips. Metal links clinked together slightly as he walked. Or maybe strut was more like it? For it was more than a mere walk. He strode with purpose, thigh muscles flexing and releasing sinfully as he glided across the concrete floor.

A tight, black, sleeveless muscle shirt hugged his chiseled stomach and stretched out across a thick chest. Long arms hung loosely at his sides, swaying slightly with each step. Dark arm bands circled his thick wrists, drawing attention to large hands. The brand of Artemis, a double bow with an arrow pointing towards the upper right, stood out on his upper left arm, near the shoulder. A thick leather cord encircled a powerful neck. Aleigh could see there was some sort of design on it, but it was too small and intricate for her to tell what it was. Honey colored hair was pulled back into a high ponytail while the based of his head was shaved close, giving it a darker texture. Two long locks brushed his collarbones while framing an extremely handsome face.

And like all Dark-Hunters, his eyes were black.

Aleigh's eyes widened in recognition. Everything about him was the same except for the eyes. Eyes that had been warm and fun loving the night before were now cold and alert. They gathered in every detail, missed no movement. Surprised at having learned the identity of last night's savior, Aleigh jumped up and pointed a finger at Zan. "You!"

Sororya grabbed her friend's arm. "Aleigh?"

"He's the one who saved me last night!" Aleigh looked from Sororya to Zan, who acted like she wasn't there.

Acheron raised an eyebrow at his Dark-Hunter.

"She was in trouble," Zan replied. "Daimons attacked. I killed."

"And took home the spoils," Aleigh lashed. "In this case, _me_!"

Zan ignored her.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Aleigh flung herself back in her chair.

Sororya looked about the coffee shop and noted the sunlight streaming against Zan's left forearm. "I don't get it. How can he be walking out in the sun?"

Ash surprised them all with an answer. "Because the things he hunts come out during the day."

"What does he hunt? Gallu?"

Zan shook his head before answering. "Reincarnations." At the puzzled look on both girls faces, he elaborated with a sigh. "Do you remember how Sunshine is a reincarnation of Talon's old wife Nynia?"

Both girls answered "yes".

"Remember how she could recall the memories of her past? That's not natural for reborn souls. When people "start over" they begin with a clean slate so to say. Whatever happened in their past life is wiped away so people may start again and not be under the influence of previous decisions and emotions. If souls got to retain the knowledge they gather throughout the years it could mean trouble. If a soul does happen to remember their past, I step in to keep them on lock down."

Sororya exchanged a look with Aleigh. "But why? What could be so bad about people remembering their past?"

"You forget that not all souls are human. There are witches, sirens, even Appolites and Were-Hunters to name a few that get reborn. Along with the memories come knowledge of their old power." Zan leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back two legs. "Let's say a Were-Hunter that dies hundreds of years ago gets a new chance at life. All of his psychic abilities or powers that he once had would be transferred to his new life, despite the fact that he may no longer have his animal characteristics.

"Sure that may not sound so bad, but sometimes when beings with abilities come back, they go rogue. The power tends to go to their heads and they don't use them in the most… profound ways, so to say. And Ash already has too much on his plate to worry about without having to think about reincarnates misusing old powers. So Artemis appointed me tracker, overseer, and possible eliminator of rogue souls."

Aleigh looked at Zan, arms crossed over her chest. "So how can you tell if someone is a reborn soul or not? That's a lot of people for guess work."

Zan rolled his head towards her, giving a droll smile. "My spidey senses start tingling."

She ignored his sarcasm. "Can you sense any reborn soul?"

"Most of them, though it's easier when they unlock their powers. It's like I'm a motherboard and each reincarnation that unlocks it's past is a new little light that pops up. My inner GPS allows me to track them, and later I can determine who is a threat and who is not."

"But what if they don't have any past power? What if it's just a human?"

"Those are harder, I'll admit, but anyone who has spent time on the other side gives off a special scent when they return. Most of the humans reincarnates behave themselves so I don't bother with them much."

Sinking further in her chair, Aleigh gave a small sigh while Sororya stared at Zan in amazement. "Whoa! That's so cool!"

Zan smiled at her despite his inner thoughts. With all the people all over the world it was hard to keep up with all the reborns. One of the nasty little side effects of his "gift" was something Acheron could identify with. Whenever a reborn soul unlocked their past, their thoughts were accessible to him. In order to determine which ones intended to use their power for evil, once they were unlocked, it was like someone was joining a conversation that already involved hundreds of people. It seemed like the whole Verizon Network was parading around in his head. After centuries of practice, he was able to dull the chaos to a minor roar, but that didn't mean it didn't get overwhelming sometimes.

One perk though was, whenever someone wanted to construct a destructive act, like plan a nuclear or terrorist attack, their thoughts were amplified tenfold, pounding their way around his head demanding he correct the disturbance. He had to zone in on the voice and track the light to the reincarnates location. Since a lot of people tend to act during the day, either in actual deed or thought process, he needed to be able to confront them during Apollo's hours.

He had paid a heavy price, bargaining with the god Apollo for access to the daylight world. And considering the prices the gods normally concoct, Zan was glad he was immortal to survive it…though at the time he had wished differently.

But the absolute worst part about his "job" is that he has to wait for the job to be completed before he can carry out an execution. As Acheron is always saying, people are free to make their own choices, it is the gift, it is the curse of free will. And with this choice comes the ability to alter the future. At any moment the future can change. Give someone the chance to make their own destiny. Should they choose the wrong path, then, and only then will they cast their demise.

Though Zan hated that rule most of all, there was a lot of truth to it. Throughout the millennia, he had seen many a people approach a critical crossroad and change their direction. Sometimes the thoughts of evil would arise, but the deed would never be carried out. He's even had his fair share of close calls.

While Sororya bombarded Acheron with more question and the girl named Aleigh tried to control her friend's enthusiasm, Zan's mind wondered off to a man who once lived in Turkey. In the man's former life, he had been a minor sorcerer with the ability to control lightning, and of course the power had carried over into his new life. Unfortunately, with this new life, also came anger management issues. Somehow, someday, someone had royally managed to tick the guy off, and of course, the man decided to challenge his offender.

Using his powers of teleportation, Zan was able to take himself to the reincarnate's position. Upon arrival, he was able to meet with the man and tried to reason with him to not partake in the duel. Unwilling to listen, the man barreled through Zan and marched up to his assailant, threads of electricity weaving through his finger. The clouds above that night began to swirl and crash in response to the man's calling to the lightning. So far gone was the man, that Zan was certain he would have to play executioner to another being. Standing aside, he had watched as the man and his opponent challenged each other.

Oh it was a bloody fight with fury and passion fueling their every blow. In Zan's eyes, every punch the man threw was one step closer to his demise. Should he call upon his power to end his opponent, to be cliche, it would seal his doom.

In one swift movement, the man was able to extract himself from his assailant. Jumping back, he raised his hand to the sky, focusing and channeling the energy needed to call the lightning. Before his adversary could move, the man unleashed his power.

Momentarily blinded, Zan was forced to hold off his killing assault. When his vision finally cleared, he took off towards the man, intending to full fill his duties but was short stopped. The man was walking away from his opponent with a nonchalant grace. No remorse showed on his features; nothing to betray his actions.

The assailant was lying on the ground, surrounded by blackened earth but remained unscathed.

A variety of emotions whirled through Zan that night. Relief that he wouldn't have to kill another human. Relief that the two and any surrounding audience were safe. Shocked that the man had unleashed his powers so close to his opponent. Angry that the man had even dared to use his powers in such a way. And thankful that the man had come to his good senses in the end.

In some cases, waiting for the last minute for a reborn to possibly change his or her mind about an act is a good thing. But more often than not, Zan has had to step in a play executioner.

No. It was not an easy life he lived. No matter how "cool" some thought it was.


End file.
